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US Airways launched an aggressive takeover bid for its larger rival American Airlines on Friday.

The bold move would lift troubled American out of bankruptcy and create a contender for the title of the largest airline in the U.S.

But the deal – which is resisted by American’s management – could also complicate the company’s already messy bankruptcy reorganisation.

US Airways went behind the larger company’s back and secured the support of American’s three labour unions in its bid to force a merger.

source: Dailymail.co.uk

A plane had to make an emergency diversion after a passenger died on board.

Airline Jet2 said the incident happened on board a flight from Leeds Bradford Airport to Prague last Friday.

A Jet2 spokeswoman said the pilot made an emergency diversion to Dusseldorf in Germany to “‘seek urgent medical attention'”.

source: BBC.co.uk

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The two airlines were named among Britain’s worst performing companies in a survey of call centre responses and waiting times.

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Customers contacting easyJet by phone can face a wait of up to 68 minutes, according to the study, making it the second worst company to feature.

EasyJet rejected the findings of the study, and claimed that 80 per cent of customers wait less than 60 seconds to speak to a member of staff.

Meanwhile, British Airways came third in the study’s league of “‘rudest call centres’”. It was criticised for cutting off customers who are waiting to speak to an operator.

source: telegraph.co.uk

Easyjet has launched a virtual card intended to make payment easier for TMCs and travel buyers.

The no-frills airline has teamed up with Travelport’s Enett payments specialist to offer agencies use of its virtual account numbers (VANs).

This system allows both IATA and non-IATA companies to use what Enett describes as a “‘more secure and effective means of payment’” to Easyjet and other travel suppliers.

source: telegraph.co.uk

Ryanair customers are to face extra charges on flights they have already paid for because of planned increases to airport tax by the Spanish government.

Customers who already have bookings to or from a Spanish airport received an e-mail from the budget airline yesterday, explaining Ryanair may be “‘forced’” to charge more because of “‘government-imposed increases’” expected to come into effect in the next few weeks.

Ryanair claimed it could not give details of how much these charges will be or when they will be made – but told passengers they will be contacted before any money is debited from their accounts.

source: scotsman.com

Iberia is looking to slash pilots’ pay by a fifth as it takes a hard line in its battle with their union over cost cuts and the launch of a budget carrier to compete with the likes of Ryanair and EasyJet.

Alongside the pay cut, which includes an across-the-board reduction in pay scales and changes to perks for pilots with 15 years’ seniority, the airline is proposing to increase the number of hours pilots are expected to fly every year and eliminate extra holidays for senior staff.

source: FT.com

The Indian government has approved a debt restructuring plan to save Air India, the country’s national airline.

Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said 30bn rupees ($5.9bn; £3.7bn) would be injected into the airline by 2020.

But there will be many checks and targets that the company will need to achieve, the minister said.

source: BBC.co.uk

A European Union law that charges airlines for carbon emissions is “‘a deal-breaker'” for global climate change talks, India’s environment minister said, hardening her stance on a scheme that has drawn fierce opposition from non-EU governments.

India on Wednesday formally forbad its airlines from participating having earlier said it would boycott the scheme.

A European Commission spokesman said the European Union was willing to cut emissions faster and more deeply than emerging nations, such as India — the third biggest carbon emitter after China and the United States.

EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard has repeatedly said the only reason for the European Union to modify its law would be if the U.N.’s ICAO could come up with a global plan to curb airline emissions.

source: Reuters

The president of Uefa has hit out at “‘bandits and crooks'” for the escalation of Ukrainian hotel prices ahead of the Euro 2012 football championships.

Speaking in Lviv, one of the venues, Michel Platini said the rising cost of accommodation worried him, and called on the authorities to prevent it.

He added that some hotels were not respecting room contracts which had already been agreed.

In response, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister pledged to take action.

source: BBC.co.uk

Britain’s biggest airport has hit a new milestone with more than 70 million passengers filing through in the space of 12 months – although Heathrow’s owner admits the increase in its record-breaking year is largely down to Easter.

While BAA has pointed to fuller planes and the airport’s “‘resilience'”, the variation in the Christian calendar means that the Easter bulge in traffic has occurred twice in the last 12 months, this March and in April 2011.

The Easter factor generated almost 7% more passengers in March 2012 compared with the previous year, with 5.7 million people passing through Heathrow’s terminals last month. The load factor, or proportion of plane seats filled by passengers, was also up by 4.2% for the month, which BAA says continues an upward trend.

source: Guardian.co.uk